Cheers The Malones Thanksgiving 1993
by vodkarocks
Summary: My Cheers stories center on Diane and Sam and their lives after the 1993 finale. The Malones Sam and Diane published February 6, is a nine chapter story but it sets up characters that appear in my later stories. This story is set in November 1993,four months after Sam and Diane's wedding. I make references to original programming in many ways.
1. Chapter 1

**The Malones Thanksgiving 1993**

**Chapter 1**

**November 1993**

** "Oh Sam, I love this house so much, it's perfect for us. Thank God Margaret was here to help us get moved in and settled. What would we ever do without her"?**

** "No kidding. She's really a take charge person, isn't she? I'm just glad the previous owners weren't here when we moved in. Remember what happened with the last house we bought together"?**

** Diane laughed at the memory and said, "I really was a little nutty wasn't I? But it worked out for us."**

** "Yes, you were a little nutty but that's one of the things I loved about you and still do."**

** "Oh Sam, I'm not still nutty, am I?"**

** "Well, a little. What was it that Frasier called you? Bonkers? That's more like it," Sam said as he laughed.**

** Diane lightly punched his arm and said, "You dork."**

** Sam and Diane had purchased a house in the quiet Chestnut Hill area of Boston, about ten minutes west of downtown Boston. The house was lovely but they were most attracted to the things they saw surrounding the house when they looked at it. They saw tricycles in driveways, strollers on porches, a school one block away, girls were outside jumping rope and boys were out playing strike-out against their porch steps. Sam didn't even care about negotiating a deal with the realtor when he saw the basketball hoop attached to the garage with an ample cement court below. He also noticed a garden and liked that too. Sam had always said he wanted to grow old like 'The Godfather' and do nothing but tend to his roses.**

** Over coffee the following morning Diane said to Sam;**

"**Sam, are we going to the cabin for Thanksgiving? If not, I have another idea."**

** "The day after Thanksgiving is a busy day at the bar so we probably won't be able to go to the cabin. What's your idea or should I be afraid to ask?"**

** "I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be nice if we opened Cheers for the day and provided free meals to anyone who might be alone on Thanksgiving. I'm not just thinking about homeless people, I'm thinking about lonely people, rich or poor, anyone really, who wants to come. We could get a caterer to cook the meal and serve it there. It's just that we've been so lucky, I think it's time we gave back a little. Don't you?"**

** "Diane, Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. I don't think we could pull it together that quickly."**

** "Maybe you're right but you will think about it, won't you?"**

** "Diane, this might be a 'bonkers' moment right here." Sam laughed and kissed her goodbye, saying, "I will think about it. We'll talk tonight. Okay?"**

** "You really are 'bonkers' Diane but I love that about you," Sam yelled just before getting in the car to go to Cheers.**

"**Hey you guys, wait until you see the basketball hoop I have hanging on my garage. Good times ahead for us that's for sure."**

** "How about we come to your house this Thanksgiving Sam," said Carla, "We could have another food fight like we did that one Thanksgiving. One of the most fun Thanksgivings I've ever had."**

** "Oh God, Diane would kill me if we threw food all over the house even though she still laughs about that day too. Actually, Diane came up with another idea that I've promised her I'd think about. I kind of like the idea but don't know if it would work. It's kind of late to be thinking about it."**

** "What egg-head idea did she come up with this time Sam. Does she want us to eat Turkey Italiano with tofu dressing then go to the opera?" said Carla.**

** Sam laughed and said, "No she thinks we should open Cheers that day and serve free meals to everyone. Her idea is that anyone; homeless, rich, poor, lonely be invited to eat together. She thinks we should contact a caterer to prepare the food. Anyone willing to help if we do it?"**

** "Sammy, I think even Vera would be willing to come and help. I think it's a great idea. The beers taps will be fully operational that day won't they?" said Norm.**

** "I'm in," said Cliff.**

** "Put me in too Sam and my kids will help. It's about time they did something for someone else. I like the idea." said Carla.**

** "Woody, how about you and Kelly? I know you have a baby and it might be harder for you to get away."**

** "We're supposed to go to her parent's house that day so I'll send her there and come here to help. I'll use any excuse to get out of seeing her parents. This is a perfect one."**

** "And I know Margaret will help," said Sam, "I'll tell you what, I'm going to see if I can round up a caterer. If I can, let's meet tomorrow night to do some planning. I'll tell Diane and Margaret."**

** Sam called Diane at her school office. "Let's go out to dinner tonight."**

** "That sounds wonderful Sam, I don't really feel like cooking tonight. Where should we go?"**

** "There is a great restaurant that I haven't been to in a while and I'd like to take you there. You'll like it, it's very upscale."**

** "You have something up your sleeve Sam, I know you do."**

** "Can't I just take my beautiful wife out and treat her to a fine meal?"**

** "Oh okay, I'll just wait and see what you're up to but I know you're up to something." **

** Entering the restaurant, Diane and Sam were met by the maître d who was happy to see him back. He showed them to his finest table. Sam asked the maître d to tell the head chef that he was here. The chef came out of the kitchen and warmly hugged Sam. **

** "I'd like you to meet my wife Diane," said Sam**

** "**_**Ah, la belle femme**_**," said the chef as he kissed Diane's hand, **

" _**J m'appelle Pierre**_**."**

** "Save it Pete, she speaks French," Sam said as he laughed. Pete laughed too.**

** "Diane, Pete likes to pretend he's French because he went to chef's school in France but he's as East Coast as I am only with a Boston accent."**

** Pete looked at Sam and said, "Sam, is this the one?" Sam shook his head yes and Pete said, "See I told you she'd come back to you and you doubted me. I told you, in matters of the heart, I know these things. I'm so happy for you both."**

** "Diane, Sam came into the restaurant many times for many years all alone. We sat and talked for hours and he always talked about you. I don't think he had anyone else he could talk to about you. Sometimes it's safer to tell strangers things, isn't it?"**

** "Pete, be careful, now that Diane is pregnant she cries easily and she might start again. Besides, I'm here to talk business and to see if you and Rick would be interested in an idea that Diane had this morning."**

** Sam went on to explain Diane's idea about serving meals to others on Thanksgiving Day and wondered if Pete would be willing to prepare the food for the day. Sam told him he'd pay him. The restaurant that Pete worked for was closed for Thanksgiving as was the restaurant where Rick, also a master chef, worked.**

"**I'd love to do something like that Sam and I know Rick would too, although I'll pretend to ask him. You certainly will not pay me to donate my time. All I would ask for is the cost of the food and maybe a couple of glasses of your best wine."**

** "Thank you Pete, I think this is going to work out. I'm having a meeting at the bar tomorrow night to discuss it if you can make it."**

"**Sorry Sam, have to work but I'll call you." Pete turned to Diane and lifted her hand kissing it again, "**_**Enchante belle femme**_**."**

**Diane leaned over, kissed Sam, and gently placed her hand over his, squeezing it. **

"**Sam, you are the dearest person I know. Who else would follow through with one of my 'bonkers' ideas? Most people just roll their eyes."**

"**Their loss then sweetheart, their loss."**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Malones **

**Cheers Thanksgiving**

**Chapter 2**

** "Okay, so recapping our jobs for our first Thanksgiving free meal at Cheers. Diane, you'll draw up the posters and handbills to advertise. Let's have them by early next week so we can start passing them out. Carla and Cliff, you'll pass out the handbills and hang posters, don't forget to give some to the hotels around here. Margaret, you'll call in an order for tables, chairs, and linens. We'll have to use disposable dishes and utensils but we can at least use linen napkins. We have enough glasses here in the bar. Vera will create table decorations. Norm, you'll keep track of expenses. This is tax deductible isn't it? I'll work with the caterer and call Dave to see if we can't get some airtime to advertise. Can anyone else think of anything?"**

** "Sammy, are you serving alcohol too?" **

** "No, I don't think so Norm. If someone wants to buy a drink, we'll sell it but serving coffee or soda is enough. There might be kids here and I don't think kids need to see massive amounts of alcohol use on Thanksgiving Day." **

** "Sam, I think we might need a few extra television sets so that people can watch the football games from wherever they're sitting, don't you?" said Diane.**

** Everyone looked toward Diane with shocked expressions. **

** "Whitey, that is about the most intelligent thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth," said Carla. "I have a portable set, I'll bring one."**

** Everyone else agreed to bring in portable sets too.**

** "Okay everyone, let's get this party started and thanks. We'll open the doors at noon on Thanksgiving Day and serve food until 6:00pm."**

** The crew arrived at Cheers at 9am on Thanksgiving Day. Carla's kids set up tables, putting linen tablecloths on them. A long serving table was set up with plates, napkins and utensils on one end. Another table was set up for desserts and coffee. Pitchers of milk were available too. Cliff and Norm positioned the TVs so that every table had a view. Vera, Diane, and Margaret arranged table decorations. Woody hadn't arrived yet. They all decided to take a coffee break at 11:00 while they waited for Pete and Rick, the caterers, to show up.**

** Diane looked over at Sam and caught his eye. He was looking at her so lovingly she thought she'd melt. Sam walked up behind her and whispered in her ear, "I don't think you have any idea just how much I love you." He rubbed the back of her neck for a few seconds then went to open the door for Pete and Rick.**

** "Okay Sam, here we go. I see that people are lining up outside already. I was afraid we'd have too much food, now I'm afraid we won't have enough. Such is the life of a chef."**

** "Oh Pete, you know the story of the loaves and fishes, you can work miracles too," Diane said as she smiled at him.**

**Pete looked at her and said, "You know Diane, if I wasn't in love with Rick, I'd ask you to marry me." They both laughed.**

** The doors opened at noon and the crowd came into Cheers; young mothers with toddlers, parents with teen agers, older men and women some of whom looked homeless, others in expensive suits and ties and dresses, college students, two nuns, a few prostitutes, and a man in a wheel chair, among others. Cliff popped some quarters into the juke box to play some music. Sam, Diane, Margaret, Carla, and Vera directed traffic and helped those who needed help get their meals and find a table. **

** The rush over and strangers happily eating and talking with each other allowed the Cheers crew to sit with their guests and talk too. Sam sat with an older man who looked to be in his seventies.**

** "How do you do young man? My name is Walter and I want you to know that I would be alone this Thanksgiving if not for your generosity. My wife died last summer and this is my first holiday without her. We were never able to have children, so I am alone now."**

** Sam noticed two things about Walter. The first being the foreign accent he had, the second being the numbers that Sam saw carved into Walter's arm. Sam recognized immediately that Walter was a Holocaust survivor. **

** "Walter, I can't help but notice that you have numbers on your arm. Were you in a Nazi concentration camp?"**

** "I'm glad you noticed. I wear these numbers with pride now. I feel like my life was spared so that I could be one of the ones who could tell the story of what happened to us. I WAS in a concentration camp and so was my wife. We survived but everyone else in our families perished. We only had each other."**

** Sam and Walter sat for over an hour while Walter told Sam his story. He and his wife met in 1941 while they were living in the Warsaw Ghetto. In 1943 Walter's wife Marta was deported and sent to Treblinka Concentration camp where she worked as a slave laborer under the Nazis until the end of the war. Walter escaped the ghetto in 1943 during an uprising and but was captured a few weeks later and sent to a work camp. After the war ended, Walter was reunited with Marta through the Red Cross and they moved to America. **

**Sam was moved beyond words by listening to Walter's story and felt that he and Diane should include Walter in their lives. Sam asked him for his phone number, promising him that they would stay in touch. As Walter was leaving, he thanked Sam again for the meal and for listening to his story. **

"**Walter, your conversation today means the world to me. I am the one who should thank you, and I do."**

**The afternoon went quickly as a steady stream of mostly strangers walked in to sit down for a meal. Some of the regulars came too, some with their families, some alone. Pete and Rick entertained the entire body of people with their hilarious antics. Carla gave the best performance of her life; she was nice to everyone who walked into the bar. At 5:30 they started cleaning up the bar. There were only a few people left eating and talking by that time. **

**Sam locked the door at 6:00pm and asked for everyone's attention. **

"**I want to thank you all for helping today. Diane and I want to invite you over to our house tonight so we can share a Thanksgiving meal together and finish watching the football games."**

"**No food fights though," laughed Diane.**

**Carla chimed in and said," Whitey, we promise that we won't throw food if you'll promise that we don't have to stand up and tell everyone what we're thankful for."**

"**It's a deal Carla."**

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa then I guess I'll have to give my little speech here in the bar before we leave. This year I feel like telling you all what I'm thankful for. First of all, I'm thankful for my wonderful wife. I have never known such peace as I have in the last four months. I also want to thank my friends, old and new," Sam said as he nodded at Margaret, Pete, and Rick,"and I'm thankful to call you all my family." **

"**My exact sentiment Sammy," said Norm, "Now let's get over to your house. You do have beer don't you Sam?" **

**As they were leaving the bar, Sam asked Diane to wait a minute, he had a phone call to make. Sam pulled a number out of his pocket and dialed the phone.**

"**Walter, this is Sam Malone. My wife and I are having some people over at our house tonight for leftover turkey and I was wondering if you could join us." Then he said, "Wonderful. Give me your address, we'll come and pick you up in ten minutes." **

**Sam and Diane walked from the bar holding hands. Sam squeezed her hand and said, "Thank you for being so 'bonkers'. You have no idea how much it's enriched my life."**


End file.
